Michigan Fall Theater Is Upon Us: 7 Queer Shows You Won't Want to Miss
Eclectic queerness abounds!
Your season has arrived, theater lovers! Is there anything more satisfying than filling up your upcoming fall calendar with plans to see all the exciting new shows on the horizon?
This year has been a big one for queer theater — another new interpretation of “Cabaret” was the talk of the town and Tony award winner “Some Like It Hot” centered queer voices both in its narrative and with its performers. So you can get a taste of the LGBTQ+ theater scene that’s finally getting the recognition it deserves, Pride Source has details on the best shows near you.
Cabaret
“Cabaret” will be staged in Adrian at the historic Croswell Opera House, a venue older than the sprawling history of revivals and reinterpretations of “Cabaret” itself. On Broadway, “Cabaret,” which debuted in 1966, was recently reimagined for a modern audience with a new interpretation, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club." Locally, this version of the celebrated Broadway production goes back to basics. Under a 1930s Berlin backdrop, those walking into the tangled story found under the dim lights of the Kit Kat Club can still expect to connect with the iconic musical's broader themes of queerness and struggle for personal freedom.
Running Sept. 13-22, croswell.org/cabaret
Moulin Rouge
Two nightclub-themed shows back to back? How scandalous! But even if you've been to the Kit Kat Club, it’s still well worth a stop in the titular Moulin Rouge. Within its walls is a battle for the bohemian way of life — a living based in creative expression and love. As the club faces closure, a young composer named Christian voices his struggle for love and expression through remixes of classic pop songs and original melodies.
The atmosphere of “Moulin Rouge" is bombastic and filled with elaborate sets. With this production taking place at the Detroit Opera House, it’s ripe with jaw-dropping potential.
Sept. 17-Oct. 6, bit.ly/4dlwjTp
Fat Ham
“Fat Ham” is a Black, queer reinterpretation of “Hamlet.” The show’s central character, Juicy, finds himself face to face with the ghost of his father, who demands he avenge his murder. This bizarre and comedic journey leads him to a family cookout where deeper questions on love and loss are explored.
Detroit Public Theatre producing artistic director Courtney Burkett told Pride Source it’s important to tell queer stories because they’re central to any community. “We think it's important to have LGBTQ+ voices represented on our stage because they are in our community and of our community,” she said. “We want to make sure that all those voices are being represented, heard and are part of the conversation.”
Burkett encourages everyone, including those new to Detroit Public Theatre, to come out for the show. “Come see what we're doing here because we made it for you — we made it for our community,” Burkett said. “We want everyone to check out what's happening here and to hopefully find a place where they feel like they belong.”
Sept. 26-Nov. 3, bit.ly/46HyQVG
Some Like It Hot
This four-time Tony award-winning musical adaptation of the 1959 film starring Marilyn Monroe has gender at its core, a theme that especially resonates with the topic currently omnipresent in our political landscape. In the movie and musical, main characters Joe and Jerry don drag personas — Josephine and Daphne, respectively — after witnessing a mob hit and join an all-female jazz band to skip town.
This lively new take on a classic has garnered a reputation for its LGBTQ+ representation both in its script and casting. J. Harrison Ghee, who originated the role of Jerry/Daphne and explores gender identity in their own journey over the course of the show, was the first non-binary person to win a Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.
Oct. 1- 13, bit.ly/4dEIbQq
The Grown-Ups
This Ringwald Theatre production is focused on change — how tradition changes you, and how you can change tradition. These ideas are explored through the lens of camp counselors as they try to shape the young minds of the future.
Director Jennifer Goff said that the topics explored in the play may resonate with the experience of LGBTQ+ community members. "'The Grown-Ups' shines a light on the dangerous toxicity of extremity and othering,” she said. “The characters in this play are dealing with how the smallest poison pill can spiral into catastrophic consequences that fracture families and communities. It looks at how these fractures affect young adults when they are forced to compensate for the broken systems around them.”
Artistic director Joe Bailey said the Ringwald has been implementing new policies to ensure the voices of LGBTQ+ creatives are heard. “There were so many stories I wanted to be able to tell about the gay experience, and I think we've been true to that ideal,” Bailey said. “Representation matters, and I wanted all kinds of people to be able to see themselves in our shows. At the beginning of last season, we decided to stop planning seasons in advance. We did this primarily to allow ourselves to be more nimble — to be able to find a show we love and be able to share it immediately.”
Oct. 11- Nov. 4, bit.ly/4dJv9RL
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Double the "Rocky," double the fun. Both the Wharton Center and the Fisher Theatre will host screenings of the queer-coded cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” with each featuring an original cast member as part of the 49th Anniversary Spectacular Tour. The tour will feature a screening of “Rocky Horror,” a shadow cast, meet-and-greet opportunities and a costume contest.
Actor Barry Bostwick, who played Brad Majors in the original film, said shadow casts are one of his best favorite parts of these events. “I love it because I get to meet the really diehard ‘Rocky Horror’ fans, who are the shadow cast,” he told Pride Source. “They have kept us alive for 50 years and are so happy to be part of something that not only is fun, but meaningful.”
Bostwick said “Rocky Horror” is a rite of passage for some — a realization that “this is what the world could possibly be.” “Rocky Horror” is joyous and a party, but it also has a meaning, Bostwick said. “Freedom. I think it’s freedom from preconceived thoughts and actions. And I think it's about opening up to possibilities. And non-judgment for yourself or for others.”
Oct. 15, Wharton Center (with original cast member Barry Bostwick — Brad Majors), bit.ly/4dIkZjZ
Oct. 17, Fisher Theatre (with original cast member Patricia Quinn — Magenta), bit.ly/46JBI4e
A Drag Queen Christmas
A fabulous Christmas celebration will sashay into the Fisher Theatre just in time to deck the halls. The longest-running drag tour in America, now in its 10th year, "A Drag Queen Christmas" features host Nina West and a slew of other "RuPaul Drag Race" alum, such as Roxxxy Andrews, Plane Jane, Crystal Methyd, Plasma, Lady Camden, Brooke Lynn Hytes and Jimbo The Drag Clown. You even have the chance to meet your favorite queens before the festivities kick off.
Nov. 13, bit.ly/3X1xwK8
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